The fifth-ranked Virginia Tech softball team has been firing on all cylinders through the first three weeks of Atlantic Coast Conference play. Incredible play in the batter's box and in the circle have propelled the Hokies to series sweeps over No. 15 Clemson, Syracuse and North Carolina and sole possession of first place in the league standings.
Tech's 9-0 start in conference games is the league's best start since Florida State began league play 10-0 back in 2018. The Hokies' nine straight ACC wins are tied for the program's second-longest winning streak in conference games and is only four shy of the 13 consecutive league contests the team won during a stretch of the 2014 season.
As Tech looks to maintain momentum in pursuit of a conference title, go behind the numbers of the Hokies' perfect start to ACC play.
OFFENSE
Virginia Tech has racked up 68 runs on 90 hits in its first three ACC series. Of those 90 hits, 26 have been multi-base hits, including 12 home runs. Jayme Bailey, Kelsey Brown and Emma Ritter have all connected on grand slams while Bre Peck recorded a multi-home run game in the Hokies' 6-1 win over Syracuse on March 13.
Tech has seen 13 different players record at least one hit in the team's three conference series. Peck leads the team with five multi-hit performances so far in ACC play, while Brown has registered more than one hit in four games and Cameron Fagan and Emma Ritter have three multi-hit games apiece.
Three of the Hokies' nine league wins have come via the 8-run rule, including two of their three victories over the Tar Heels this past weekend. Tech has scored eight or more runs in five ACC games, highlighted by 13 runs in the first game against Syracuse and 10 runs in the first matchup with North Carolina. The Hokies outscored their three league opponents by a combined total of 68-12.
PITCHING
As good as Tech's offense has been over this recent stretch, the team's pitchers have been equally impressive. Keely Rochard, Emma Lemley and Ivy Rosenberry have all seen time in the circle as opposing offenses have struggled to get anything going against the Hokies.
That group has racked up 104 strikeouts in Tech's nine ACC games, including five double-digit strikeout performances, three by Rochard and two by Lemley. Lemley was tabbed the ACC Pitcher of the Week back on March 9 after throwing a complete game shutout over then-No. 9 Clemson on the Tigers' turf, giving up just three hits and striking out 10 batters with no walks. The Hokies' pitching staff have only given up 16 walks in ACC play, including five games of one or fewer walks.
The program is set to announce a Pledge Per K giving campaign in the coming days, offering fans the chance to commit to a donation that correlates to the number of strikeouts Tech records this season. Click here to sign up and get notified when Virginia Tech's Pledge Per K campaign is live.
The Hokies' pitchers have only given up 11 earned runs over the team's first three ACC series, including two shutouts. Outside of allowing five runs in the second game of its series against North Carolina, Tech has allowed no more than one earned run in its other eight league games. Rochard, Lemley and Rosenberry have also combined for 25 1-2-3 innings in that span.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech is back on the road this week, first for a non-conference doubleheader against Longwod on Tuesday, March 22, before resuming ACC play with a series at Pitt from Friday-Sunday, March 25-27. The Hokies' next home series comes against in-state rival Virginia as part of the Commonwealth Clash presented by Smithfield. That series is set for Friday-Sunday, April 14-16, in conjunction with Tech Athletics' "Hokie Hi: Weekend at Home" events.